ARCHITECTURE:Young Architects Program 2019-Pedro & Juana

For 20 years, the Young Architects Program at The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 has offered emerging architectural talent the opportunity to design and present innovative projects, challenging each year’s winners to develop creative designs for a temporary and sustainable outdoor installation that provides shade, seating, and water. The architects must also work within environmentally sensitive guidelines.

By Efi Michalarou
Photo: MoMA Archive

“Hórama Rama” by Pedro & Juana (Ana Paula Ruiz Galindo & Mecky Reuss), winner of The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1’s 20th annual Young Architects Program, is on view at MoMA PS1. This year’s architectural installation is an immersive junglescape set within a 12-meter-high, 27-meter-wide cyclorama structure. Selected from among five finalists, Hórama Rama serves as a temporary built environment for MoMA PS1’s pioneering outdoor music series, Warm Up. “Hórama Rama” is a large-scale cyclorama featuring a panoramic image of the jungle on scaffolding that sits atop the courtyard of MoMA PS1 and catapults visitors into a wild, foreign territory. The structure hovers over the courtyard space, reframing the horizon and positioning visitors in an urban jungle. The presence of this large circular structure reconfigures the courtyard into an immersive environment that visitors can move in and out of, contrasting with the cityscape immediately adjacent to the Museum. Amplifying the experience, the installation features hammocks crafted in the south of Mexico along with a functioning waterfall. The exterior of the structure features protruding wood “bristles” that create a dynamic sense of movement. Pedro & Juana is a studio from Mexico City founded by Ana Paula Ruiz Galindo and Mecky Reuss that works on a variety of projects across creative professions. Some of them are: Sesiones Puerquito or Little Pig (2012-2014), cooking a suckling as a pretext for better conversation. Archivo Pavilion (2012) , an intervention in the gardens of Archivo Diseño y Arquitectura, DF|Mexico. Hellmut (2013) a Table turn Bench turn Table for Gallery 1 of Museo Jumex, DF|Mexico. Casa Reyes (2011-2012) an annex to an ex-colonial house, Merida/Yucatan. Cocina DS (2013) , a kitchenette entrance for Dorothea Schlueter Galerie, Hamburg|Germany. Turin 42 (2013-) a small apartment complex within and on top of a 1918 House, DF|Mexico. Pavilion of Hotel Palenque is not in Yucatán, a de-differentiated structure at the Hessel Museum of Art, NY|US (2014). Dear Randolph (2015) , a domestic interior public square for the 2015 Chicago Architecture Biennial, The State of the Art of Architecture, The Intent of a Public Pool (2017) , DF|Mexico. With Love From The Tropics (2016-2017), MCA Chicago|US. C13 a remodel for sale (2012-2017). Le Stalle (2017-) a restauration of two animal stables and a pavilion, Lago Maggiore|Italy. The other finalists for this year’s MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program were: Low Design Office (DK Osseo-Asare and Ryan Bollom), Oana Stănescu & Akane Moriyama, Matter Design (Brandon Clifford, Johanna Lobdell, and Wes McGee), and TO (Jose G. Amozurrutia and Carlos Facio).

Info: MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Duration: 28/6-2/9/19, Days & Hours: Thu-Mon 12:00-18:00, www.moma.org